Meet Our Team

Professionally: Stacy is a nationally-recognized financial expert who attended the New York University Center for Finance, Law and Taxation, where she completed the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation. She comes with over 18 years of experience in the financial industry and is dedicated to her ongoing professional education. Stacy is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®) a Divorce Financial Strategist™ as well as a Certified Estate and Trust Specialist (CES™). She is the Director of the Association of Divorce Financial Planners’ (ADFP) Greater New York Metro Chapter, the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and the Financial Planning Association (FPA). Stacy is one of twenty of the nation’s leading wealth managers on CNBC’s Digital Financial Advisor Council and she frequently appears in media outlets such as CNN, PBS, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today.

As much as 10% of all Francis Financial proceeds are donated to charities, including Savvy Ladies™, a nonprofit organization founded by Stacy to educate and empower women to take control of their finances. Savvy Ladies has helped over 12,000 women through free one-on-one financial counseling, workshops and retreats.

Personally: Stacy grew up in the countryside in Michigan, which sparked her love of animals and the outdoors. She enjoys snowboarding, skiing, and horseback riding with her family. Stacy is as active as it gets and she loves her morning boot camp, running marathons and training for triathlons. Her favorite activities include cooking with her kids for their monthly Chopped Cooking Competitions, discovering new wines with her husband, swimming with dolphins in the Bahamas and scuba diving in the Dominican Republic. Captain Stacy and her family are also avid sailors and she recently acquired her sailing certification.

Favorite quote: “Whether you think that you can or you can’t, you’re usually right.“ – Henry Ford

Clients know that Avani is available, not just for big-picture planning, but also for practical help with all kinds of financial transactions, big and small. Avani is not only focused on clients, but also on the Francis Financial team. She passionately encourages the team to continually learn and grow on a professional and personal level. Avani recently received The Smart CEO Executive Management Award celebrating her leadership.

Professionally: Avani has fifteen years of experience in the financial industry and her expertise is recognized nation-wide. She is the Director of the National Association of Divorce Professionals (NADP) Manhattan Chapter and is quoted extensively in media outlets such as CNBC, Wall Street Journal and Investment News, to name a few.

Avani holds a Bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA with a specialization in finance from one of India’s top 10 business schools. She holds the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®) designations. She started her career in strategy consulting, providing technology solutions to large companies. After six years of advising the C-suite, Avani found her way back to her first love, finance. She completed her financial planning educational certification from the College of Financial Planning, in Denver.

Personally: Avani grew up in India. As a child she dreamed of putting on a business suit and “playing” with numbers and jigsaw puzzles every day. She is happy to report that the dream came true! Avani works with exceptional clients who come with all the financial pieces of their life to sort through. She fits them all together to create a beautiful financial mosaic.

Avani is also a loving mom and wife who enjoys teaching kids about money. She frequently experiments on her two daughters and creates lessons based on the success of her experiments. Avani enjoys traveling to the south of France, hiking and eating anything spicy and vegetarian from around the world.

Favorite quote: “Every problem has a gift for you in its hand, we seek problems because we need their gifts.”

Professionally: Paul is a graduate of the Mason School of Business at the College of William & Mary, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (finance major), cum laude. Paul developed leadership skills from his active role in student-run organizations such as Alpha Kappa Psi and Phi Kappa Tau Fraternities.

Paul completed his Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation from New York University’s School for Continuing and Professional Studies and also holds the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®) designation. He is known for his diligence, reliability and great sense of humor and has developed an expertise in investment planning, tax planning, insurance planning and estate planning. Paul continues to seek opportunities to learn and grow as a financial advisor.

Personally: Paul is our office fire warden and comedic guru. He has a knack for making our team laugh, which makes him a joy to work with.

Paul spends much of his spare time watching the Yankees, other sports and movies. If there was one thing Paul could not give up, it would be Netflix. Paul balances his passion for film with an active lifestyle, which includes running, playing tennis, and leading the Francis Financial team to victory as the captain of our dodgeball team. Paul also loves to travel the country with friends and explore cities, such as his favorite, New Orleans.

He believes in giving back and volunteers for charitable causes such as The Arc, Habitat for Humanity, and American Red Cross. He is also a mentor through Minds Matter NYC, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to transform the lives of accomplished high school students from low-income families by helping to broaden their dreams and prepare them for college success.

Professionally: Natalie received a Bachelors of Science in chemical engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). On the West Coast, she worked as an engineering consultant on large capital projects at pharmaceutical companies such as Genentech/Roche, Bayer, Novartis, and BioMarin, to name a few. Natalie moved to New York City in 2013 to work as an engineer at Perrigo, the world’s largest manufacturer of store-brand pharmaceutical products. After 7 years as an engineer, she realized that her passion for finance overshadowed her engineering career path and decided to make the switch. Natalie passed her Certified Financial Planner exam in July 2017 and is eager to deepen her knowledge in the profession.

Personally: Natalie is kind, sharp and full of positivity. Her favorite activity outside of work is running with friends, which she does every Saturday. Her athletic pursuits led her to place 2nd in her age group in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in 2011.

Natalie is involved in the public speaking organization, Toastmasters, and is currently the President of the Graybar Toastmasters Club. In 2013, Natalie won 1st place at the Area Table Topics Speech contest in Toastmasters.

If she could be anywhere else in the world, Natalie would travel to Florence Lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains where her family has taken yearly trips since she was only 9 months old.

Favorite quote: “The will to do, the soul to dare.” – Sir Walter Scott

Professionally: Davon graduated from New York University with a Bachelor’s degree in economics. He further enriched his studies through a semester abroad in Madrid, Spain where he immersed himself in the Spanish culture and economy. During his junior and senior year at New York University, Davon gained valuable experience through an internship at the hedge fund, Millennium Management, in their Investor Relations and Marketing department. After graduation, Davon entered the workforce and spent two years as an auditor in the Independence Group at Ernst and Young. His positive attitude, reliability and warm disposition make him a huge asset to our team.

Personally: Outside of the office, Davon enjoys entertaining friends and family, playing basketball and exploring his passion for music production. As a child, he developed an interest in meteorology from watching the weather channel and dreamed of being a weatherman. Today, he still enjoys following the weather, specifically in his favorite places to travel, which include the Caribbean and Costa del Sol, Spain. Davon’s mind is sharp, developed through years of Tae Kwon Do where he earned his black belt. Although he is a New Yorker, Davon spent his early childhood in the Poconos, which explains his love of both Philadelphia and New York sports teams.

Favorite quote: “A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others.”

Professionally:

Shweta graduated from New York University with a degree in Economics and a concentration in Business Studies. She was Vice President of NYU’s South Asian Student Association and a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity. She is currently pursuing her Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation from New York University’s School for Continuing and Professional Studies. Prior to joining Francis Financial, Shweta gained valuable experience through internships at a hedge fund and at a corporate restructuring firm.

Personally:             

Shweta’s kind personality and her passion for helping others always shines through. Shweta is thrilled to work at Francis Financial where she can help empower others through financial planning and wealth management. When she isn’t working her dream job, Shweta can be found exploring the city or hosting movie nights with friends. An avid film lover, her passion for film transcends national bounds and extends to both Hollywood and Bollywood movies. Her other hobbies include reading, writing, surfing and traveling. If given a chance to be anywhere else in the world, she would visit Thailand to search for the most authentic version of her favorite dish, Pad Thai.

Favorite quote: “If you get, give. If you learn, teach.” – Maya Angelou

Professionally: Alexandra recently received her M.S. in Finance from Fordham Gabelli School of Business, after graduating Cum Laude from Villanova School of Business with a Bachelor’s in Finance and Business Law.  Before coming to Francis Financial, Alexandra gained experience working at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, modelling clients’ portfolios and conducting equity research.  Alexandra is currently working towards completing her Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation.

Personally: When Alexandra isn’t working, she enjoys spending her time horseback riding, playing tennis and eating her mom’s traditional Greek cooking. She is a devoted music lover, and has been playing piano since the age of 5, which gives her an outlet for her own musical expression.

Favorite quote: “Courage is knowing what not to fear” – Plato

Professionally:Peter received his B.S from Northwestern University’s School of Communication, double-majoring in Economics and Theater. Prior to joining Francis Financial, Peter conducted research and analyzed data for a nonprofit dedicated to providing paid, mentored internships and career-readiness workshops to under-served high school students. Peter is currently working towards completing his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation.

Personally:Peter enjoys spending time biking around the city, playing board games and basketball, and attending games cheering on the New York Giants, New York Knicks and New York Yankees. Peter also loves performing on stage and on screen and has been acting since he was 5 years old. His claim to fame is his appearance in Law and Order SVU.

Favorite quote: “For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” – Shakespeare

Professionally: Deborah graduated from Barnard College with a major in French literature and a minor in English. For over 20 years, Deborah has developed her own photography business and worked in administrative support roles for companies including Bride’s Magazine (Condé Nast). Deborah’s passion for photography takes her to many areas of the world, including a recent two-week-long medical service trip to remote villages of the Himalayas of Nepal, where she documented holistic medical relief efforts.

Personally: Deborah is the proud mother of two teenage children who manage to keep her up to date on current pop culture, although they would heartily disagree with that. Her nurturing, kind and balanced nature also led to her nickname, our “office mom.” Deborah enjoys reading fiction, going to yoga and writing. She is also a health guru and she makes sure that the team gets their weekly dose of fresh fruit from the farmer’s market on the office’s healthy-snack Tuesdays. When she has the opportunity to escape the city, Deborah can be found enjoying her favorite places like the beach, the mountains or anywhere you find nature.

Favorite quote: “This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” –William Shakespeare

Professionally: Sunaina graduated from The Pennsylvania State University where she earned degrees in International Politics, International Relations and Business Administration. She was president of the South Asian Student Association and an active member of Alpha Kappa Psi, a professional business fraternity. Before her start at Francis Financial, she gained experience in the marketing industry through various internships in Los Angeles, California and Washington DC, at Legacy Entertainment and Global Drug Development Experts, where she acted as a production and marketing coordinator. Our clients and team love working with Sunaina as her incredible positivity, kindness and passion are contagious and always welcome.

Personally: Sunaina is a go-getter at work and in her spare time. She calls herself an adrenaline seeker and is active and adventurous. She has gone sky diving, cliff jumping, skiing, rock climbing and has a black belt in karate.

Sunaina is full of compassion for others, and is passionate about giving back to her community. She was the Chapter Lead of the American India Foundation New York Young Professionals (AIF NYYP), a charity that accelerates social and economic change in India by raising funds and spreading awareness in the United States. She had the chance to visit an AIF-funded center in India, and spent time with children in underprivileged homes. She also enjoys reading to kids through the Pajama Program, travelling to London to be with her family, and seeking out local Mexican restaurants for the best guacamole.

Favorite quote: “Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come. Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome.” – Unknown

Professionally: Gabrielle graduated from the University of Connecticut where she earned a degree in Communication and minor in Business Fundamentals. She was an active member of the professional business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi and a member of the Joint Elections Marketing committee. Before starting at Francis Financial, Gabrielle gained experience as an intern for Feeding Children Everywhere during her senior year of college. Gabrielle also spent a summer working for the city of New York at their Office of Emergency Management in Brooklyn.

Gabrielle serves as a member of the Advisory Council for FamilyKind, a non-profit that helps under-served children, parents, and couples cope with separation and divorce, where she assists them in furthering their online presence. Gabrielle combined her love of traveling with her passion of volunteering spending two summers abroad. She spent the summer of 2012 in London, England coaching basketball for a local school’s youth center and the next summer working on a wildlife park in the outskirts of Sydney, Australia. Gabrielle also was selected to join the UConn Empower group to travel to northern India to implement sustainable projects at impoverished schools.

Personally: Gabrielle’s competitive and energetic nature makes her a self-proclaimed dynamite on our team’s dodgeball league and at any competition she can get her hands on. With a passion for sports and exploration, she has gone snowboarding, surfing, and ski diving. In life and at work, Gabrielle is always ready to take on any challenge and inspires everyone to do their best with her contagious enthusiasm.

When Gabrielle is not exploring the city, she escapes upstate to her family home looking over the beautiful Catskill Mountains and goes to concerts in her hometown at Bethel Woods.

Favorite quote: “If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely” – Roald Dahl

Favorite quote: “All great relationships in life start with a paw-shake. Reach out!”